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WILKES-BARRE - More than 100 people have applied for eight jobs as Luzerne County division chiefs, county Manager Robert Lawton said.

The county's human resources staff will begin reviewing applications Monday, but the county will still accept applications until the positions are filled, Lawton said during Tuesday's council meeting.

The county home-rule charter established a new form of government last year. Lawton didn't appoint permanent division chiefs because of budget shortfalls and disputes over new hiring requirements.

Holdovers from the former government continue to run divisions and offices as interim designees. The charter requires council approval of permanent appointments as division chiefs.

The human resources staff will eliminate division chief applicants who do not meet minimum requirements, and review panels will select applicants to be interviewed without seeing names of applicants, Lawton said. Interviews will begin next month, he said.

"I would like to have at least some people brought forward for consideration by the end of February," Lawton said. "It is not management's intention to fill positions or bring candidates forth simply for the sake of bringing candidate forth. This is about the quality of the pool of applicants. If we need to hold some positions open longer, it is management's intention to do that."

The vacant jobs have been advertised in local newspapers and on websites for various government organizations, Lawton said. The county didn't advertise on media in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, he said, noting a cost of $3,000 to $4,000.

"Short of hiring a professional recruiter, I think we are doing everything we can to throw as wide a net as possible to earn the highest quality candidates," Lawton said.

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com

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